At CES 2023, there were a handful of Chromebooks we were expecting to see, and a couple that we had no idea about. That latter category describes the new ASUS Chromebook CM14 and CM14 Flip: two Chromebooks we were completely blind-sided by at CES that really could end up becoming go-to recommendations for those looking for a solid Chromebook on a budget.
We did a quick video and a post while we were at the show, but the more I think about it, the more excited I am for a few of these more budget-friendly Chromebooks to arrive this year. We also had hands-on time with the Lenovo Flex 3i and Intel’s latest 12th-gen Alder Lake N chips that were on the inside of that device, and with all of these lower-priced Chromebooks, I came away with the same feeling. Cheaper Chromebooks are getting many of the mid-range perks we used to only expect in devices with $500+ price tags.
Such is the case with the new ASUS Chrombook CM14 Flip, a super-thin, rigid, perk-filled Chromebook that should enter the market at or around $300. For that money, you’re getting a 14-inch FHD display, a large trackpad, MIL-STD 810H ruggedness, a spill-resistant keyboard, a garaged USI pen, anti-microbial finish, and a camera with some auto-exposure smarts.
All in all, it’s a pretty compelling package assuming the MediaTek Kompanio 520 performs decently well inside it. There are options for 8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, too, so putting all that together, I think we’re looking at a pretty solid offering from ASUS when it does launch later this year. With up to 14 hours of battery, this Chromebook will get you through a couple days of work, too, so that’s a pretty big perk.
ASUS’ new landing page lays all this out in compelling fashion, even including a quick video that wraps everything up in just a few minutes. While this is great to see for sure, the fact that these pages exist and that both models (Flip and non-Flip) are now listed on the Developer Information for Chrome OS Devices page make me think we should see these Chromebooks sooner than later. We’ve reached out to ASUS to see if we can get a date and some review units soon, so we’ll let you know what we can as we find it. If the performance delivers, this CM14 Flip could be the king of affordable Chromebooks this year depending on what the competition delivers. There’s no doubt that this is going to be a fun space to watch in 2023.
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